Interesting Perspective

And I mean interesting the way the word "breathtaking" was thrown around on Seinfeld to describe that ugly baby.  I was waiting in line on Monday to get into a press and industry screening of a film called Little Birds because I missed seeing an audience screening when someone in line started talking to me. She was a tiny blonde woman who also wanted to see the film. It was an odd conversation because without asking me anything about me she started grousing about the fact that it used to be the people that volunteered for Sundance were all aspiring or acting filmmakers, writers, or actors. Now as she’s standing there talking to volunteers, she finds out they are opthamologists or secretaries and what’s the point of talking to them at Sundance, when she can talk to them any time. I thought to myself, should I tell her right now not to bother with her next statement or question since I’m the riff raff? She didn’t win me over anymore when she told me she’d gone to the premiere of Being Elmo and said she felt like she’d had “treacle poured over her” with an eye roll. As one of the Sundance programmers said when introducing Being Elmo, if you don’t like this film you must have come into this world as an adult and never been a kid. After listening to this woman, it should be added or you insist on carrying your European sensibility to that jaded level that grates on American nerves.


I actually didn’t mind that there were no spots available for the film so I could walk away and not be talked at anymore.

Monday's Agenda - Sundance

With no volunteer shifts on Monday I was still trying to decide which film to see in the morning as I drove to Park City. Red State, Kevin Smith’s film looked most interesting to me but I didn’t think there was a chance at getting a volunteer ticket so I headed over to see Higher Ground, directed by and starring Vera Farmiga. Higher Ground is adapted from the Carolyn Briggs’ memoir, This Dark World, which I now want to read. The festival film description calls it a “moving story about the transformative powers of faith and doubt”. What was great about the film was it wasn’t heavy-handed at all and it wasn’t preachy on any particular side. Vera conducted a Q&A after the film and spoke about the challenges of a directorial debut that spanned eras and all that means to a production as well as battling pregnancy hormones the whole time. Her character in the film starts out as a small child and grows to an adult. We were all pretty amazed at how much the girl playing her character as a teenager really looked like her and it suddenly made sense when the credits rolled and we learned it was actually her 16 year old sister who played the part. Her sister was there at the screening as well but busy watching Vera’s toddler so she could answer our questions. Carolyn Briggs was also there and fielded a question herself. When talking about religion I thought she said something really profound and I’m really paraphrasing here but it was something like religion provides one with all the answers, which makes living easy. But it takes a brave individual to live with questions. Questions I wanted to ask Vera at the Q&A but would have never dared since it would have blown my serious movie lover cover… what does George Clooney smell like? Working with Scorsese, Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson and Mark Wahlberg on The Departed, tell me every single detail. Oh, and hottie alert in this film - Boyd Holbrook, who plays her husband when he was a teenager.


After the film I stared at Richard Ayoade from the IT Crowd as he chatted with another volunteer I’d been talking to in the hallway. I thought I’d get out and enjoy the sunshine and take a walk along Main Street. I saw the photographers and the autograph hounds with those stacks of pics they then sell online ascending on Lea Thompson. One of them put a racy glossy black and white pic in front of her and she said, “Ooh where did you find this one?” with a giggle.

I then headed over to the press tent and sat in on a press screening of a documentary called How to Die in Oregon. Did you know that Oregon as well as Washington allows someone who is terminally ill and has less than six months to live to get a prescription to end their own life? I knew this movie would be a downer and it didn’t disappoint. I have never been so grateful for the dark of the movie theatre as I sobbed throughout the entire thing. The content was excellent and showed a range of situations. Walking out of the theatre I didn’t know how I stood on the issue but I know that I felt like the filmmaker made me understand and appreciate the feelings of everyone in the documentary. Some of my fellow volunteers said that many of the people in the documentary were at the documentary premiere and how moving the process was for them.  I'm glad I saw it and it reiterated some advice I had received from a fellow volunteer, go to some films you know nothing about and might not pick for yourself.

My last screening on Monday was in Salt Lake City and it was a film called Another Happy Day, described as a dysfunctional family drama, written and directed by a very young Sam Levinson. This is where my streak of great films comes to an end. I’ve talked to other volunteers who really liked it but I got way sick of Ellen Barkin crying and some of the characters being caricatures that were just too amped up to work. No doubt this will probably get picked up for distribution, because of the all-star cast but it won’t be a film I’ll sit through again. One fun aspect of the screening, when I was waiting in line to get in there was a group of teenage boys hanging out also waiting to go in and their conversation made me wonder if they were in a film in the festival. When Another Happy Day starts rolling I realize they’re all in this film.

What was great about Monday… it felt really decadent that my only responsibility and pursuit was to see as many films as interested me that day. Three in a day, when else would that seem normal unless at a film festival?

Last Day of Volunteer Duty

Last day of volunteering – I wrote down a list of films I’ve seen so far in the festival and told H that I’m up to twelve.  He shook his head like that sounded like nothing he’d like to do.  The thing that is pretty great about seeing films here is how dedicated the theatre staff is to making the movie going experience the best it can be.  No one is allowed into the theatre once the introduction of the film begins.  Everyone in the audience really does turn off their cell phones, they keep the talking to a minimum, and of course the sound and picture quality is the best it can be.

Lots to Write About

But life after I get home from the festival has gotten in the way.  A's best friend from England is coming this summer for a few week visit and then A & J will be flying to Singapore to catch up with J's family.  A will be with them right up to when school starts.  Very exciting for A but trying to use some points to book her travel and coordinate with the family has been stressful.

So here are a few pics from Monday to make due until I can sit down and write.

New Frontiers houses art installations

No sign of James Franco but here's the sign for his art installation



One of the art installations was about Johnny Cash



Actress Leah Thompson with fans and autograph seekers

Good Choices

I met up with my colleague J yesterday. She booked us tickets to see Pariah in Salt Lake City. Not only are their Sundance films in Park City, but several are screened in Salt Lake City, Ogden, and the Sundance Resort in Utah County. The guide to Sundance in the newspaper last week talked about SLC being the best place to see the films and after yesterday I would agree. The parking issues aren’t severe, and there isn’t the media circus that is Park City to distract from the purpose.


Meeting up with J ahead of time was funny because right now my attitude about the festival is nothing but positive having seen two great films. She’s been going to Sundance screenings for years and seen some things that she thought were crap so she’s much more level-headed. But this time around, we both agreed she picked a winner. Pariah had us laughing and crying at the end, and was beautifully shot. After the film almost all the principal actors, the writer and director, producer, cinematographer, and even the costume designer all came on stage to answer questions. The film has been 5 ½ years in the making, yet was filmed over 19 days in Fort Greene in Brooklyn. My favorite film genre has always been the coming of age story and this one is a favorite in that category for sure.

Writer/Director of Pariah and cast members

One thing that was kind of funny, we were in this big theatre sitting in the balcony to see Pariah and the lights went down, then just as the opening Sundance credits rolled, there was an issue with the lights and they came back on in the balcony. You could still see the screen but it was a bit faint. A few random folks in the audience shouted “lights” hoping someone in the volunteer crew would fix the issue before the actual film began. Then when the film began and it hadn’t gotten fixed, a desperate sounding “LIGHTS!” came from the audience. I turned to J and started laughing saying “Oh my God lights people, lights!” in the most pleading and desperate voice. It was as if all these cinephiles were going to lose their minds if the film wasn’t shown in the most perfect of settings. They ended up stopping the film until the light issue could be sorted and then started again to great audience applause.

Later last night there was a film that I thought A might like and I’ve got two guest waitlist vouchers to use so we headed back to downtown after dinner to see the film Like Crazy. We stood in our respective lines with our waitlist and volunteer tickets and both got in. As we stood in line we both talked to other festivalgoers. I had a nice chat with some fellow volunteers who were sharing their faves so far. I was reminded once again how Americans really will bare their souls to the folks they’re queuing with and during the festival this has made me very happy.

As I was waiting for A to join me I picked two seats towards the back for us and just as we were settling in for Like Crazy to start, who got ushered in and seated among us normal folk? Tobey Maguire. He walked about a foot from A, who I thought was going to burst into tears. As he was seated her comments were, “OMG Spiderman, our mission is complete”. I don’t think she watched the film, she watched Tobey watching the film. He really did look like a normal chap. Dressed in jeans and a jacket he blended right in and wasn’t with an entourage, he was alone, and we saw him exit out a side exit during the middle of the Q&A after the film.

Oh, so how was the film? I enjoyed it. The female lead who A thought looked so familiar, was beautiful and I could see her really having a career after this. The end was a bit ambiguous leaving everyone to wonder if they stayed together. The director wanted it that way.

So far I’ve loved everything I’ve seen. Will today also be a success? Fingers crossed.

Random Pics from Sundance

Sundance - Saturday on Main Street

This probably won’t go down as my fave Sundance day. A got home late last night from a friend’s house so we didn’t have time to sit down and look to see if there was a film today she’d be interested in seeing, and so she just wanted to go and walk along Main Street. I woke up out of sorts but bundled up and got ready to go after morning errands. SLC = Sunny, Park City = Quite Different.


When we got on Main Street immediately we saw Peter Dinkalage and Bobby Cannavale catching up with each other. If you haven’t seen The Station Agent which they are both in with one of my favorites, Patricia Clarkson, definitely put it on your list. Just a few steps away we saw Paddy Considine. After that and the snow starting to really pick up, I would have been fine heading home. We walked around a bit longer, saw some of our favorite buskers from Salt Lake, and then headed out. I was concerned with the snow coming down we’d be delayed getting home but again, SLC = Sunny and we were amazed at how different the climate was when we returned.

Took a quick shot of Bobby and Peter